The superfood that can combat metabolic syndrome

Last week I discussed Plantar Fasciitis one of the major causes of heel pain, this week I am going to discuss a grumbling achilles tendon, or to be technically correct, non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy, he other major cause of heel pain.  Although a rupture of the Achilles is well known, it is actually more common to have what is known as a grumbling Achilles. The pain is felt at the back of the heel above where the Achilles tendon joins the bone. It feels stiff and swollen, particularly in the morning and can prevent the sufferer from taking part in sport. Sometimes the pain is lower down where the tendon joins the bone. How can I tell if my heel pain is a grumbling achilles tendon? You may have swelling over or either side of your achilles tendon which runs from your heel to your calf muscles.  The skin over the achilles tendon may be red and/or hot.  If you sit down with your feet on the floor and raise your foot, as you use your achilles tendon you may hear a crackling sensation. What causes a grumbling achilles tendon?

• The tab on your shoe rubbing against your achilles tendon.
• Failing to warm up properly before playing sports.
• Over use of the tendon from intensive training, e.g. running
• Scar tissue from a previous injury.
• High impact on hard surfaces e.g. any sport where you jump or tennis.

What can I do to help myself? If you are in pain then rest and ice your tendon, to ice it wrap ice cubes in a tea-towel and hold against your tendon for 5 - 20 minutes, every 2 hours for 2 -3  days and then 3 times a day. The key to preventing further bouts is to ensure your are wearing appropriate footwear for the sport you are doing, ensure you warm up and cool down properly and always stretch your calf muscles. In addition a deep tissue massage release any tension in the tendon, remove scar tissue and ensure that your calf muscles are flexible.  

Headaches are one of the most common complaints. Yet despite this, the precise mechanism and cause of certain types of headache remains unclear. The three main types of headache are

• Tension
• Migraines
• Cluster

Tension headaches – are characterised by constant pressure or tightness that affects both sides of the head accompanied by contraction of the neck muscles. They are the most common type of headache. The exact cause is unclear, but tension headaches have been linked to things such as stress, poor posture, skipping meals and dehydration. Migraines – are typically characterised by a throbbing or pulsating pain. In addition you feel worse for physical activity and there often additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or smells. Cluster Headaches – are characterised by being very severe but generally lasting less than one hour. One characteristic of cluster headaches is that the pain is often centred on the eye, which may water.   They are called cluster headaches because they can occur up to eight times in one day, for a few weeks or up to two months. Their cause is unknown but there is subjective evidence to suggest the triggers may include alcohol, strong smelling substances or extreme rise in temperatures. Identifying which type of headache you have can be very difficult as tension headaches and migraines share many of the same traits. Treating and preventing headaches depends on the individual and type of headache. It is often advisable to keep a diary in order to identify which type of headache(s), they experience and if there are specific triggers that can be avoided.

We all know that fibre is an essential part of everyone's diet, but for IBS sufferers  it can be a challenge to get enough fibre into their diet. Researchers from the University of Helsinki gave two types of Rye bread - the standard loaf and a rye loaf that was low in FODMAPs (fermentable olgi-, di and monosaccharides and polyols) to 87 IBS suferers for four weeks.  Then after a break of four weeks, switched the two breads for another period of four weeks. As expected the standard Rye bread caused all the usual symptoms assocaited with IBS:

• abdominal pain
• diarrhoea
• constipation

but there were much milder when they ate the low-FODMAP bread.  However to be completely symptom free researches suggest that IBS sufferers have to make other dietary changes e.g. excluding fruit and grains. The modified Rye loaf may be one way for IBS sufferers to get more fibre into their diet. Reference R. Laatikainen, J. Koskenpato, S.-M. Hongisto, J. Loponen, T. Poussa, M. Hillilä and R. Korpela; 2016; Randomised clinical trial: low-FODMAP rye bread vs. regular rye bread to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.  Ailment Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Vol 44; Issue 5; pg 460–470